Help with a blind squirrel

[Junior]

I need some help or advice.........

I received a 10-11 week old male Gray in two weeks ago with severe head trauma, he could not stand up and would "swim on his side". Leonard has been treated with oral Traumeel, Metacam, B-Complex injection, BioPlasma cell salts and with a little luck he is now wobbly (reminds one of a Parkinson patient) but able to hop around and tries to keep up with his other cage mates. He climbs like a maniac and tootles around on the floor pretty well considering. In his initial exam I noticed that he could not make out shapes.....I wrote it off to the head trauma making his vision fuzzy. After the past two weeks I have come to the conclusion that he must have had more extensive damage to his optic nerve and is most likely blind.

My question is does anyone have a blind squirrel out there? How do they do in captivity? Any special needs or considerations for him outside of the obvious with keeping his travel "paths" and cage unchanged so he knows where he is, what he is doing?

He will have a lifetime at my house to "recover" but I have noticed that his hearing has become VERY acute and just about any noise will send him into a tizzy. I don't want him living his life terrified of every noise but he is trying so very hard to be a normal squirrel.

Thanks for your help!!

[CritterMom]

I can only respond to the acute hearing/noise thing.

I have parrots and they have VERY acute hearing, and can react badly to sudden noises, flying around and into things when frightened. I have cut that down to virtually NOTHING by keeping them in an environment where they constantly have some kind of white noise to dampen sudden sounds - by day it is a radio playing in their room (they like classic rock:D ) and by night it is an air filter that runs in there with a medium hum. If noises don't come in the midst of total quiet, they do not seem to be as frightening.

I would also always speak to him as you come in and move around the house so he isn't startled by someone suddenly speaking out of nowhere.

Poor baby, what a beginning he had.

[djarenspace9]

I am having similar issues with a squirrel that is blind in one eye and suffered head trauma.

She is not as severe but does overreact to sounds or anything that startles her.
She is about 4 months old.

I am trying to figure out the safest housing for her to prevent injuries.
I'd love it if we could share any info we learn along the way.

I do have another NR squirrel that is blind in one eye.
He was a wild adult male that was struck by a car.
I don't know if the blindness was prior to the accident or a result of it.

He is a very calm and gentle guy though, and does not act the same way.
That made me consider that the female juvenile is not acting that way just from the blindness, but more due to the head trauma.
Sometimes I can't even figure out what triggers her, it just happens for no reason.

I am hoping with time as she becomes more sure of her sorrounding that there will be less incidents.
Otherwise I will need to get a padded room for her :rotfl

[island rehabber]

I have no blind squirrel experience but I have read of cases where an overload of parasites can cause the symptoms you describe; have you had fecals done on him?

[cam]

I've got a blind squirrel :)

well, partly blind, when i found her about 4 months ago she was totally blind but now she has regained a little sight in one eye and i am hoping she will keep improving.

definately talk to him whenever you are in the same room, my girl was about 4 months when i first found her and was a wild squirrel, she tried to hide to start, would hardly move when she thought someone was there and would make a horrible scared noise whenever anyone was there, but after a week of me talking to her she got to know my voice and was calm and quiet when i spoke to her, but anyother voices would frighten her.

Although yes, it would be quite a good idea not to change his cage around to prevent him freaking out, but i found it beneficial to change it often, i had a cage with a platform in the middle and lots of hammocks so if she did fall she would not go far, but she was suprisingly nimble considering she could not see anthing :)

You may find that he gets bored easily, i can't play with my girl in the same way others do with theirs, she just gets a little panicky and/or walks away, but you can still give him lots of cuddles and i have recently given my girl little food parcel thingies where i put some food inside a toilet roll tube, then wrap it in newspaper and twist the end, she really enjoys ripping them to peices to get to the food, also i have got a cardboard box filled with shreaded newspaper, toilet tissue and toilet roll tubes then i throw in some food and she spends ages rummaging for it

As i said, my girl was petrified of any noise to start with, but i have managed to get her used to the everyday household noises, first i kept her in a room where there was not much activity to reduce noises and i spoke to her as often as possible and when she was used to my voice, i got friends and family to go and talk to her, then i just made little noises every now and then, now she is not bothered unless there is a really loud bang etc

that's all i can think of for now, but if you have any more specific questions feel free to ask :)

[Junior]

Thank you everyone for your help and some great ideas that I can use for all my little guys that come in.
The funny thing with Leonard is that sometimes it is my stomach growling when I am feeding him or the neighbors dog barking faintly.......it's not really the loud noises, sometimes it can be but most cases it is something that I really don't count on him spazing about......With 30 some odd squirrels in the house there is always noise but I will try the white noise on a low volume and see if that helps and I am always talking to my guys......be it the dog, cat or squirrels and even sometimes I may talk to my husband...... : ) Thanks Critters Mom.

Djarenspace9 - I am keeping him in a low but long cage for now. He climbs like a monkey, no problems there. I think it is 18"height x 18"wide x 36" long and I pad his cage with the extra thick bath towels folded into quarters. I think the cage is from PetSmart.....for guinea pigs or rats?? Also he gets Rescue Remedy on his bad days and I am still giving him the Traumeel, orally. He gets 1/4 of a table once a day and if you can get your hands on some the injectable Vitamin B-Complex is essential for nerve healing.....I swear by it for any trauma. I am more than happy to share info as I get it.....actually just read an article about the use of estrogen for traumatic brain injuries in people and birds of prey instead of any type of cortisone or dex. I will try to find it and email it to you.

Island Rehabber - Have not had a fecal done on him but I will see if my vet can do one next week......When he came in he was a good weight and not lethargic so I didn't think to treat him for parasites, I guess I was more worried about his noggin......Do you know what parasite that caused these symptoms and what drug it was treated with??

Cam - My husband and I did do some more with him tonight like passing your hand over the light bulb for a second and for the first time he turned his head in the right direction so maybe there is some recognition with shadows. When I do the pen light with his pupils they react...... but he will run into furniture when he is on the ground so maybe the optic nerve is still inflamed?
I love your "toy" ideas......they will even be great for my normal, healthy kids. Those are fantastic!!!!

Again, Thank you for the great suggestions and I am encouraged by the fact that there are others with blind squirrels that have acclimated to being an inside kid. I am worried about the testosterone kicking in later on but we will cross that bridge another day.

[island rehabber]

I believe coccidia is the culprit in some of these cases; it can cause neurological symptoms. Treat with SMZ-TMP, as Albon is no longer effective.

[djarenspace9]

The funny thing with Leonard is that sometimes it is my stomach growling when I am feeding him or the neighbors dog barking faintly.......it's not really the loud noises, sometimes it can be but most cases it is something that I really don't count on him spazing about......

That is what I noticed with my Baby Girl.
Sometimes it's unexpected and unexplained.
I work next to her all day so she hears me talking nonstop with clients.
I also watch TV in there sometimes and she will sleep through it no problem.
I don't think there is any rhyme or reason to when and what sets her off.
Must be something in her brain functioning? :thinking


Also he gets Rescue Remedy on his bad days and I am still giving him the Traumeel, orally. He gets 1/4 of a table once a day and if you can get your hands on some the injectable Vitamin B-Complex is essential for nerve healing.....I swear by it for any trauma. I am more than happy to share info as I get it.....actually just read an article about the use of estrogen for traumatic brain injuries in people and birds of prey instead of any type of cortisone or dex. I will try to find it and email it to you.

I never thought to use Rescue Remedy.
I only think to use it on an "as needed basis" like a vet trip.
Is there any danger with ongoing use?

She was never treated with anything for the head trauma because
it was not noticed by the finder or first rehabber that cared for her.
Only recently when I had her eye examined did the vet make that diagnosis
due to the obvious impact to the eye plus certain behaviors typical of
head trauma (circling and rubber necking).

The panics are new (just in the past few weeks) so maybe I need to reevaluate with the vet for medication.
I worry about meds that can cause organ damage though.

Is there benefit to start any of those treatments 4 months later?


I am worried about the testosterone kicking in later on but we will cross that bridge another day.

Don't worry about that too much! I have two males and neither ever had issues that stood out from females.

The blind one is even a wild adult and in 2 years not only has he remained
docile but his best buddy is the other male squirrel. The love to hang out :rotfl

[cam]

Cam - My husband and I did do some more with him tonight like passing your hand over the light bulb for a second and for the first time he turned his head in the right direction so maybe there is some recognition with shadows. When I do the pen light with his pupils they react...... but he will run into furniture when he is on the ground so maybe the optic nerve is still inflamed?
I love your "toy" ideas......they will even be great for my normal, healthy kids. Those are fantastic!!!!

My girl used to bumo into theings non-stop! after a while she had worked out where most of the furniture was and managed to slow down or stop before she bumped into it.

What i did for a while to test eyesight was be as quiet as i can and move my hand side to side in front of her and see if she followed it (not great i know) and one day she did :D she still bumped into things mind you as she only has sight in the one eye, she kept turning and hitting furniture :)

I'm glad you like my toy ideas, it's not much, but she really seems to enjoy them and i am planning on setting up several different boxes with different food and digging material for her :)

[djarenspace9]

OMG!

I woke up this morning with a clear thought - - NUTRITION!!!

A few weeks ago I discontinued Baby Girl's formula because
she was having loose stools when she did have some
(1 time a day some days she skipped).

I figured her body was telling me it was time to wean and
she did not seem to want or miss it.

Her panics started shortly after....

The last 2 days she has not had any episodes.
The last 2 days I gave her some because whenever I was feeding
one of the babies she would jump on me and try to grab
the syringe out of my hand! She begged so much I gave in.

What a testament to how quickly nutrition can affect the health of an animal!

I do give her HHBs but she has been struggling to eat them consistently.
It's something we have been working on.
I have not trouble getting my other NRs to eat them first thing,
but Baby Girl has issues with food that takes a long time to work through.
For example she has never opened a shelled nut...it seems to be too complicated for her.
The blocks are too hard and big for her to follow through.
I need to get her blocks in a texture and size that works for her to eat them
a bit at a time and maybe softer. Will bake some test runs tonight.

For now she will keep getting the baby formula and I am curious to confirm
that this was the cause.

Obviously she has life-long issues, but if I can control the symptoms with
a proper environment and diet I think she can have a happy life :thumbsup

[Nancy in New York]

OMG!

I woke up this morning with a clear thought - - NUTRITION!!!

A few weeks ago I discontinued Baby Girl's formula because
she was having loose stools when she did have some
(1 time a day some days she skipped).

I figured her body was telling me it was time to wean and
she did not seem to want or miss it.

Her panics started shortly after....

The last 2 days she has not had any episodes.
The last 2 days I gave her some because whenever I was feeding
one of the babies she would jump on me and try to grab
the syringe out of my hand! She begged so much I gave in.

What a testament to how quickly nutrition can affect the health of an animal!

I do give her HHBs but she has been struggling to eat them consistently.
It's something we have been working on.
I have not trouble getting my other NRs to eat them first thing,
but Baby Girl has issues with food that takes a long time to work through.
For example she has never opened a shelled nut...it seems to be too complicated for her.
The blocks are too hard and big for her to follow through.
I need to get her blocks in a texture and size that works for her to eat them
a bit at a time and maybe softer. Will bake some test runs tonight.

For now she will keep getting the baby formula and I am curious to confirm
that this was the cause.

Obviously she has life-long issues, but if I can control the symptoms with
a proper environment and diet I think she can have a happy life :thumbsup

Just a thought with the block. I have made these balls with the HHB, FV and some nuts. Just so that you don't go through a whole procedure making tons with them not eating them try this. Take a couple of the HHB's and crush them up really well, I put them in my food processor. Now since I'm saying just a couple of the blocks, once they are ground up, see roughly what that amount is....2 tablespoons perhaps? Take that amount of DRY FV along with approximately 1 1/2 tsb. gound nuts (no peanuts) blend together with a little bit of applesauce just enough to make it sticky so you can shape into a small marble sized ball. Put these in the refrig for around 6-8 hours. See if she will eat them that way, they really are soft and she shouldn't have a problem.

Another thing that CritterMom suggested. Take the block and crush it, put it into the FV formula that is already made into a liquid. Make a slop out of it, and if you want add a little dollop of almond butter and microwave for a couple of seconds. :dono :dono

[djarenspace9]

Just a thought with the block. ...
Thank you Nancy for the ideas! I will try those...
I also think the shape and size is an issue, she tends to drop food consantly while eating.
I'll see if I can mold them to the size and shape of a pecan half,
she seems to have NO PROBLEM eating one of those from start to finish!!! :D

Junior...SORRY to have thread jacked you here...
:osnap

[Junior]

Nancy in New York.....I can't seem to get my guys to eat anything that is cold so can you bake the homemade balls......the HHB are too hard for Leo to eat at this point. He likes the Mazuri rodent block dipped in formula.......I need something hard enough he can grip but soft enough that he can bite it.

Djarenspace9 .....For Baby Girl's loose stool - I was having such a time with formula this season......I tried the FV, Esbilac, Multimilk......and every combination of the above with cream, yogurt, etc with awful results!!! I finally tried the recipe from E-wild again and Chris's squirrels and more that combines Fox Valley AND Esbilac with Heavy Whipping Cream and greek yogurt (I use the Chobani Vanilla - full fat) and ALL my problems disappeared!!!! I had fat, happy babies and NO MORE GOOEY BUTTS!!! The problem with FV is it is low in copper - necessary for growth and Esbilac is low in methionine also needed for growth so addding the two together balances the two out. I had no diarrhea with in 48 hours!!! It was amazing......The recipe is 4 parts water, 1 part FV, 1 part Esbilac, 1/4 - 1/2 part Heavy Cream (for my older guys I use the 1/2 part, younger ones get 1/4 part), and then a big tablespoon of greek yogurt.

I will probably keep the formula feeding going for Leo as long as I can so I know that he is getting proper nutrition. I always offer, they can make the decision.....some will not take the morning meal and then will want the evening one, go figure!!!

I am going to take Leo to a friend/rehabber that has some eye scopes that can see in his eyes better than I can!!!!

Cam - does your girl like to climb? It has amazed me how much he likes to climb.....I am just afraid of him falling. He seems to know when he has reached the end of my arm or the end of his cage but I can't seem to keep him on the ground!!! I walked into his room (I let him run around while I am feeding the other guys) and he was on the floor when I left, came back a couple of minutes later and he was on top of my desk!!!

I am amazed by these guys every day!!!!

Oh by the way Djaren - your quote on your sign off is one of the things that has made me decide to go back to college to get my degree in Wildlife Biology!!! I am tired of all the problems with insufficient wildlife formulas and pest control companies wanting to kill wildlife instead of learning non-lethal ways of dealing with them......I can't sit and point fingers unless my finger is helping to solve the issue!!!



As far as the Rescue Remedy goes I just use it when I see that somebody is having a bad day......any of my trauma guys get it in the AM for a few weeks so they don't have anything that sets them back with their development/progress. I will give them a break when I see they are on a steady progression.

[cam]

Cam - does your girl like to climb? It has amazed me how much he likes to climb.....I am just afraid of him falling. He seems to know when he has reached the end of my arm or the end of his cage but I can't seem to keep him on the ground!!! I walked into his room (I let him run around while I am feeding the other guys) and he was on the floor when I left, came back a couple of minutes later and he was on top of my desk!!!

Yes, Squiggle climbs all the time, she used to climb on top of her cage (which is heading for 6 feet hight) but she has worked out there is nothing up there :D
I don't think she climbs as much as 'normal' squirrels do, but she gives it a good go! she's always on my bed, if i leave anything she can climb on on the floor she will be up on it and will always use it as a stepping stone for something higher and i am sat at my desk quite often in the evenings working, she is always climbing up me begging for attention and doing her best to get on my desk and cause havock!!

When i first got her i was affraid of her falling too, so in her cage i had hamocks and extra platforms in there and 'squirrel proffed' my room by ensuring there is nothing high she can get up on and fall from, but she has amazed me as to how well she coped when she was blind, she never jumped, she always had a tight grip with her feet so if she was walking on my bed and reached the end without knowing she would keep going and fall, but managed to keep a hold with her backfeet

[Junior]

Well we had our eyes checked this afternoon and we have some inflamed blood vessels in our left eye which may be why we can't see......the right eye was fine so now we are wondering that if the knock on the noggin was bad enough that Leo can't process what he is seeing???
She said he seemed like a very happy little guy which makes me feel much better about him being an inside squirrel. He did have fun bunny hopping on her hardwood floors.....it was terribly cute, even more so knowing he can't see!!
We did decide to keep him in a smaller cage so he can get the hang of things being in one place and for the time being can't fall too far. The sad part is he has to be separated from the group!!! THEY move stuff around on a minute by minute basis, and it will be harder for him to be separated once they are older and have been together longer......I guess he will have to spend more time with me!!!!

I am still doing homework on head trauma so hopefully I can find some more info that will help everyone out.

Cam I am going to try your goodie box idea in his cage so hopefully he will come to associate it with good things.......bring on the toilet paper rolls!!!

[cam]

Well it's good that you now know what's wrong with him :)

If your worried about him being seperated from the rest of the group, you could let him have play time with them as often as possible, but there again, it is fantastic spending time with squirrels :D My girl is out almost 24/7, the only time she is caged is when i am out of the house

and i'm very glad that you like my digging box idea, my girl is asleep in hers at the moment and has been for a couple of hours :D

[rusty's mom]

I had one I had to separate at first play time together worked but in a couple days he was an outsider and the others were mean to him.So be very careful because it will be hard to take him back out of play area with the others in attack mode.

[djarenspace9]

I had one I had to separate at first play time together worked but in a couple days he was an outsider and the others were mean to him.So be very careful because it will be hard to take him back out of play area with the others in attack mode.
I have had the same problem. I separated one of a set of 3 siblings for a few days, to allow him to heal an injury.
When I put him back in he freaked out and ran around the cage screaming like a girl :D
I had to put their cages touching side by side for a few days,
until I could tell he was comfortable with them again.

You could always keep him real close to the others, so they can at least touch noses through the bars.

[Junior]

I am astounded by Little Leo, I did the nasty deed of separating him from the herd and he has done outstanding. Which also helps me not feel like such a schmuck for taking him away from his family!!! I still let him down on the ground to "tootle around" while I am feeding everyone else and they have been angels about not being mean to him (so far).....maybe they know he has issues?
Yesterday we worked on holding solid foods and he got it!! Caught him with a honey nut Cheerio in his mouth this morning!!! He still has to pin it to the ground since he bobbles to much when he is sitting upright, but it is a start!! To confirm he can't see he took a flying jump off the end of the couch last night........oh my......thank goodness that he jumped to a open spot on the carpet and not the coffee table, he was so proud of himself that he bunny hopped several times and then raced out of the room, NOT hitting anything on his way!!!
I know this all sounds ridiculous and there are babies out there with much worse issues but he just amazes me how not being able to see has not stopped him for a minute.....he even grabbed my finger and bunny kicked my arm wanting me to play.
Also released 22 kids over the last two weeks so now I only have 10 that will have to be overwintered!!! Yeah!!!! I took in over 70+ babies this summer/fall season so this is such a relief to get to spend time with my boy!!!
I will get some pictures soon......
Cam & Djarenspace9 do you have pictures of your little guys?

[cam]

So, does this mean he's staying for the long run?

here are some pics of my girl, you can see the extent of her 'blindness' as her left eye is completely blue!

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss42/ferretfreak4/P140911_07360001.jpg
http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss42/ferretfreak4/Gypsy005.jpg
http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss42/ferretfreak4/Gypsy010.jpg
http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss42/ferretfreak4/294552_216039365128521_100001673760152_543366_5431 17170_n.jpg

[Junior]

Cam - She is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I love the sleepy-getting-out-of-bed picture, I think I would just get back in and snuggle with her!!!

[Junior]

Oh and yes......he is in for the duration!!! I lost the love of my life, Joe, to some POS that hit him in front of my house last week. I am not a highly religious person but I think Leo came to help me heal so the least I can do is give him a life time to try and heal himself!!! Anyway he has me in triple knots tied around his little paw.....he couldn't get rid of me if he tried!!!

[djarenspace9]

Taking a picture of my porky little Bubula is a difficult task.
She moves non-stop and is mostly a brown blur.

Here's two views from today...front and back lol
She is a bit errrr fluffy...need a low-fat formula recipe for this one :D

[cam]

Cam - She is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I love the sleepy-getting-out-of-bed picture, I think I would just get back in and snuggle with her!!!

I know it is probably weird, but she does like to sleep in my bed at night with me :)

It's good to hear that little Leo has got a good home :D

and djarenspace9 your girl is gorgeous no matter how fluffy she is :D

[Junior]

Djarenspace9 - I think your girl is beautiful also and I do not see any fluffy-ness. She is a full bodied girl!!!! Everything at my house is "well fed" also. We ain't go no skinny kids!!!!
It may be a while before I can get some pictures of Leo, because of his shaking everything looks out of focus or he will bobble and tip over and then it is a frame of his feet..... ; )
He figured out this morning that if he leans up in a corner with his food dish in front (big ole feet pushing against it) he can some what sit up and eat his solid foods!!! I am so proud of my boy!!!
I promise to stop gushing about him in a year or so.....:rotfl

[cam]

You can gush all you want, there will always be someone listening and saying awwww :flash3

[astra]

I am so proud of my boy!!!
I promise to stop gushing about him in a year or so.....:rotfl
this is ONE promise no one has EVER been able to keep!
NO EXCEPTIONS!:D

[Junior]

So Cam how do you sleep with a squirrel?? I have a hard enough time with a husband and a 7 pound dog??? : )

[cam]

well, she sort of crawls into my bed and sleeps next to me :jump

[djarenspace9]

well, she sort of crawls into my bed and sleeps next to me :jump
How sweet!
I'd be terrified of getting my face scratched while I sleep :D

Yesterday Bubu was sitting on my shoulder and I realized I was about to sneeze...
Snap decision...SUPPRESS SNEEZE...I visualized her hitting the ceiling, then landing on my face on the way down :rotfl
She gets startled so easy...

I think I pulled a muscle on my side :sanp3

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Sweet baby shes a doll!:Love_Icon I have a blind boy, no idea what happened to him? He came to us from a family who had had him for 2 days a day after we had him started with cranial swelling??:dono He only has about 10% vision. He is extremely terrified of noises, he only trusts my husband and hates me.:D These animals know who saves their lives let me tell you. dh is the one who picked him up. They have been inseparable since then. :Love_Icon

[cam]

How sweet!
I'd be terrified of getting my face scratched while I sleep :D

I haven't really thought about it, but she seems to stay under the covers where it is warm :D If she did scratch me, it would not be on purpose, she would just be walking across my face :jump

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom your boy is gorgeous :Love_Icon
my girl was terrified of noises to start, but she has been desensitised to them after 4 months and hardly anything fases her anymore, she's got a heart of a lion!

[Junior]

OK here is the little prince......he is getting so much stronger every day.....I have been letting him out as much as possible so he can tootle around while I am home and it seems to do him a world of good. He has become much braver, better adapting to sounds and his shaking has gone down.....

So without further a do, here is Leo

156836

156837

156838

These were taken after he got finished eating and was racing around on the bed!!!

Rippie - I think your little boy is beautiful......

Cam - I am envious that you squirrel sleeps with you!!!

[cam]

He is gorgeous :Love_Icon love the second pic, looks like he has a beard :jump

It's good that he's improving :)



Cam - I am envious that you squirrel sleeps with you!!!


most people think i'm mad when i tell them lol

it is down to a lot of trust!! when i first found her she was a wild thing, scared of even my voice and one of the first times i took her out she bit me! but she has learnt to trust me and now craves attention and cuddles and just loves my bed :) she is hardly ever in her cage these days, only when i am out which isn't that often :)